ML20215C148

Requests Permission for Conversion of Core to Low Enriched U Fuel & Continued Operation Per Encls.Conversion Specifics Discussed

ML20215C148
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Issue date:	10/03/1986
From:	Harris D RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, TROY, NY
To:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20215C151	List: ML20215C148 ML20215C167 ML20215C181
References
NUDOCS 8610100121
Download: ML20215C148 (3)

Text

Department of Nuclear Engineering 4.

r}r Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180-3590 3 October 1986 Mr. Harold R. Denton, Director Office of. Nuclear Reactor Regulation United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

SUBJECT:

PROPOSAL FOR HEU/ LEU CORE CONVERSION PURSUANT TO 10 CFR 50.64

Dear Mr. Denton:

This letter is submitted as a formal applica+:on, under existing License No. CX-22/ Docket No. 50-225, for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Factlity to permit conversion of the core to LEU fuel and continued operation as described in the enclosed documents through the year 2006. The application is made in accordance with the final rule of the NRC pertaining to " Limiting the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Domestically Licensed Research and Test Reactors" as published in Vol. 51, No. 37 of the. Federal Register for Tuesday, February 25, 1986.

The proposed conversion will install 4.8 w/o enriched SPERT fuel-pins in place of the exirting fuel plate assemblies, requiring little structura1' modification to the core and

, only minor changes to existing Technical Specifications pertaining to the reactor's nuclear characteristics. The i

enclosed Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and attached Technical

! Specifications fully describe the conversion. Only pertinent changes to the Reactor Critical Facility and its nuclear character- istics, imposed by the conversion, are

[ addressed. The balance of information normally contained in such a report is still accurately recorded in the SAR submitted by RPI in January of 1983 and complements the material enclosed.

The schedule for completing core conversion hinges on i

requalification of the SPERT fuel for use in the facility and issuance of a conversion order by the NRC. It is estimated that requalification of the fuel will be completed by December of this year. Receipt of the fuel pins at RPI prior to a conversion order is contingent upon 2

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NRC approval of an ammendment to the existing license.

Time required for NRC review of the SAR/ Technical Specifications (enclosed) and for issuance of a conversion order n,ay range from a few to more than six months.

Initiation of work items i, j, k, and 1(described below) cannot begin until the conversion order is issued. The proposed work is in twelve areas as outlined in the attached Figure (1):

(a) Nuc l ear /niech anic a l redesign of core and support structure; (b) Safety analyses to verify new core design for conversion application; (c) Fabrication of new core support structure components; (d) Disassembly of old core structure and peripherals; (e) Assembly of new core structure and peripherals; (f) Redesign, criticality analysis, and reconstruction of the fuel storage vault; (g) Shipment of HEU fuel off site; (h) Shipment of SPERT fuel to RPI and storage in vault; (i) Analysis and verification of instrument response, shielded doses, and other reactor parameters for validation of Technical Specifications; (j) Alteration of Technical Specifications and related documents based on operational data if required; (k) Loading of new core and experimental verification of reactor safety parameters; and (1) Redevelopment of instructional curriculum and operational materials.

The work schedule begins on 15 August 1985, the start date for the U.S. Department of Energy contract for conversion.

Key dates therein are reactor startup on 15 February 1987 and use of the facility for classroom instruction beginning in the Spring of 1987. It should be noted that resumption of classroom instruction no later than this date is viewed as a key issue by the Institute.

Any additional information required by the Commission in evaluating the proposed conversion will be forwarded upon request.

Sincerely, a

s_N .

3 D nald R. H6rris, Ph.D.

Director l RPI Critical Facility l

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